Air-pressure regulator.



Non/81,330. 4 PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905. l y

` l J. E. cEAsE. A AIR PRESSURE REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1,1903.

'f Y lx y J f ////1. I 'I f2-EWR y* f '6. M -z /9 if ,'5 16 3 i I f Mge/1Mb @MAL afar Patented January 31, 1905.

yPATENT .OFFICEd JOsFFH ln. cHAsF, OF BUFFALO, NEWA YORK.

AIR-PRESSURE REGULA-TOR..

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 781,330, dated January 31, 1905i.

' Application iiled July 1,1903. Serial No. 163,965.

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOSEPH H.l CHASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo,

in the county of Erie and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improve- -ments 1n Alr-Pressure Regulators, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse 'the same.

This invention relates to air-pressure regulators, and more particularly to such as are used in connection withpneumatic motors employed for propelling a perforated music-sheet 1n an automatic piano, organ, or other mechanical musical 'instrument or for propelling va music-sheet in self-playing attachments for any such musical instruments; also, for con'- trolling the force of the pneumatic striking devices. v y

The primary object of my invention is the production of a simple, thoroughly reliable,-

, elongated opening `and controlling the airpressure passing through said opening and to vous in recovering itself when released by the collapsible chamber and to provide simple adjusting means whereby the collapsible chamber may be regulated to respond in action to a lighter or heavier degree of pressure, according to the position of said adjusting means, thus 'providing for a higher. or lower Yuniform rate of speed of the wind-motor.l

Heretofore regulators for this purpose have been provided with flat spring-valves acting against a seat when drawn in under heavy pressure, which oftentimes caused entire stoppage of the air-currents in the passage, due to the suction momentarily holding the valve to its seat after the controlling-spring of the kind, considerable friction must be overcome when the passage isentirely closed, and they become loose and noisy after being used for some time. The present constructionis designed to overcome the above-mentioned objections.

. The invention consists of a spring-valve vor spring controlled valve, if desired, acting above and within an elongated opening, through -which air is drawn by a suitable pumping device or wind-inducing apparatus.

As this invention pertains only to the airpressureregulator, I wish to state that this regulator may be located at any suitable point in an instrument or attachment to an instrument.between the pumping device and the wind-motor, or whenl used to regulate or control the force of the pneumatic striking devices itl may Ibe located at any point between the latter andthe pumping device. In some instances a wind-chest or subchamber is used in musical instruments vof this character, and in such cases the regulator may be located at any point between such chamber and the pumping device, and from said chamber the vair-pressure may beled to the wind-motor and to they pneumatic striking devices.

In the drawings, Figure lis a central longi# tudinal section of myimproved air-pressure regulator.. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line y y, Fig.v l. Fig. 3- isa transverse section taken on 'line a a, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the springvalve drawn into the elongated opening 'in the valve-frame, which Vaction takes place when the coniining-chamber is collapsed b 'vaheavy air-pressure. v

Describing the drawings in detail, l designates the air-pressure regulator considered as a whole, which is suitably affixed to a part of the `instrument 2. The regulator -casing is 'constructed in the form of a bellows orcollapsible chamber and comprises Aa stationary side 3, herein shown as an open frame secured to a part of the instrument, but, if desired, may be otherwise supported and closed and a movable side 4 connected to the stationary IOO.

side by flexible material 5, so arranged that at one end the sides 3 and 4 are contiguous, and the flexible material of this point serves as a hinge 6 for the collapsible chamber or bellows.

7 designates the controlling-springs of the collapsible chamber, which tend to normally expand said chamber, one end 8 of each spring being secured to the movable side L and the other end thereof being secured tothe stationary side or open frame 3. Any other device may, however, be used which normally tends to keep the regulator-casing expanded to adegree equaling the tension of said springs, or any other style of spring suitable for the purpose may be substituted, if desired.

So far reference has only been had to the pneumatic collapsible chamber and its expanding springs, and as such parts form no part of my invention, except in connection with my improved valve, they may be varied in form, arrangement, and construction to suit the makers fancy or desire.

In thecollapsible chamber or regulator-casing I secure a rectangular open frame or block 9, inclined from one end to the other and faced with a metallic or other suitable plate 10, having an elongated opening 11 formed therein, suitable means being provided to secure the plate to said open frame. Secured to the plate 10, at one end thereof, by means of screws 12 or otherwise is a. spring-valve 13, which is positioned in a direct line with the opening 11 and curved upwardly to lie normally above' the latter, and on the movable side of the collapsible chamber is a stop 14, coacting with said spring-valve and serving to deflect the same when the said chamber is collapsed to any degree by the air-current. Airpassages 15 and 16 are formed in the part of the instrument 2, and they both open into the collapsible chamber and by means of the latter communicate with each other, communication being cut off more or less by the springvalve 13, whereby the air-pressure is regulated. As is common in regulators of this type, the air-passage 15 is connected, by any suitable means, with a bellows or other suitable pumping' device, while the air-passage 1,6 has connection with the wind-motor or with the pneumatic striking devices or with both and may, if desired, be connected with a wind chest or chamber from which connection may be had to both the wind-motor and the pneumatic striking devices.

The valve 13 is of a width and length to fit the opening in the plate 10 as closely as possible without touching said plate and is therefore free-acting and seatless, thus avoiding all possibility of its being momentarily held in its closed position after the collapsible chamber is expanded, as has been the ease with flat valves used heretofore. The regulating-valve is therefore instantaneous in recovering itself when deliected to any extent by the air-currents acting on the collapsible chamber and is furthermore absolutely noiseless, and when drawn into the elongated opening 11 the current of air is practically cutoll.

If desired, the controlli11g-springs of the regulator-casing can be dispensed with, and the regulating-valve may, in addition to controlling the air-current, also serve to expand the said casing.

So far no reference has been made to the adjustability of the stop 14. An adjustment of the same is useless when separate controlling-springs are provided for expanding the regulator-casing. In such instances, however, where the regulator-valve serves the purpose of the controlling-springs in addition to regulating the air-currents, I construct the valve of a heavier grade of material, and thereby obtain the necessary tension whereby the said valve acting against the said stop will cause the regulator-casing to expand. Adjustability of the stop 14 is obtained by forming a slot 17 lengthwise in the movable side si. of the casing. A bolt 18 passes through the stop and extends through said slot and through an aperture formed in a plat/elf), which forms a closure for the slot and prevents the passage of air therethrough. To the outer projecting end of the bolt a thumb-nut 2O is applied, whereby the stop is held in any adjusted position. The stop 14 may be adjusted to contact with the valve at different points in the length thereof, thus requiring a lighter or heavier current of air to overcome the tension of the valve, depending on the distance its contact is from the free end thereof. The adjustment can therefore be made to provide for a slower or faster uniform rate of speed of the wind-motor, which regulates the movement of the music-sheet for fast or slow time.

By means of my regulating-valve an even pressure can be maintained in the wind-chamber or air-passages leading to the wind-motor or to the pneumatic striking devices, whereby the speed of the motor is controlled and full control of the pneumatic striking devices is obtained irrespective of the demand, which is vconstantly varying.

In practice the air is drawn through the passages 15 andlG bya main bellows or pumping device, which is subject to variations in wind force, and when said pumping device is operated the air-suction caused thereby tends to collapse the collapsible regulator-casing against the tension of its controlling-springs and the degree of suction regulates the extent of collapse of said chamber, which acts against the regulator-valve and restricts the opening in the plate 10 toa corresponding degree, thereby controlling the air-currents and maintaining a uniform pressure.

I wish it to be particularly understood that I do not limit myself to a spring-valve acting freely with and above an air-opening, but may, if desired, use a valve of this type con- IOO trolled in its return movement by a separate spring or springs, and, furthermore, that changes in construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts may be resorted to without departing from the scope or sacrificing any advantages of my invention.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what 1. An airpressure regulator having an opening for the passage of air therethrough, and a flat valve playing within and without said opening and being secured at one end of said opening.

2. An air-pressure regulator comprising a collapsible chamber having an elongated air-4 opening therein,'a Valve movable above and within said opening and'being aflixed at one i ing as closely as possible when deiected without touching the bounding-walls of the same.

4. An air-pressure regulator comprising a collapsible ychamber or bellows havlng an air- -opening therein, a valve havingoneend 'lixedly secured and its other end free tomove above and within said opening and means controlled by the air-current'for actuating said valve.

5. A governing-valve for air-pressure regulators comprising la-plate or blockv having an elongated opening, and a spring-valve secured at one end to said block and left free for movement with its other end and intermediate portion in and above said opening.

6. An air-pressure regulator comprising a collapsible chamber having an air-opening therein, a spring-valve adapted to close said opening, a stop secured to a movable portion oi' .said chamber and contacting with said springvalve to close thefsame when said chamber is collapsedandmeans for adjusting said stop so as tocontact at diierentpoints in the length of the said valve, substantially as set forth.

7 An air-pressure regulator comprising a collapsible casing having an elongated airopening therein, a spring-valve secured with one end in the chamber atone end of the said opening, a stop secured to a movable portion oi' the casing, a slot formed in said movable vportion in line with the spring-valve, a bolt passing through said stop and said slot and means for holding said stop inv any position within the length of said slot, said stop contacting with said valve and causing the same to close when the chamber is collapsed.

8. An air-pressure regulator comprising a collapsible chamber or bellows, a block or plate within said bellows having an elongated opening through which air-currents pass, a spring-valve secured with one end to said plate or block and having otherwise free movement above and within said opening, said valve being adapted to regulate air-currents between a high and a low pressure chamber or passage, a stop secured to the movable side of lthe bellowsfor engagement with said valve whereby the latter is partially or entirely closed, according to the volume of air passing through said opening and the extent of collapse of said bellows, said valve springing outwardly away from said opening when relieved by the said stop.

'In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v y JOSEPH H. CHASE.

vWitnesses:

CHAs. F. BURKHART, M. SEWERT. 

